Fulton 2012 budget hearing tonight at 7

Fulton, NY -- Fulton residents can comment and ask questions about the city's proposed 2012 budget during a public hearing at 7 tonight at the Fulton Municipal Building.

Mayor Ronald Woodward Sr. said the total budget is lower than the budget 2011 budget, but the tax rate is increasing 19 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That means a person owning a house assessed at $100,000 would pay a total of $19 more in city taxes in 2012.

The budget total is $15,159,448, down from the 2011 budget of $15,313,000.

Woodward said the largest increases in the 2012 budget came in health insurance and pensions. The city also saw its assessed value decrease due to assessment cuts for hydroelectric plants, railroad properties and the P&C site that was purchased by Cayuga Community College.

"We lost $144,000 on assessments," Woodward said. He said medical insurance costs were up $400,000 and pensions were up $300,000.

The city also lost $33,500 in state aid.

"This was one of the toughest budgets I've ever done and I'm holding my breath for next year," Woodward said. "This was the first tax rate increase in my four years here."

The tax rate for 2011 was $16.31 per $1,000. The proposed 2012 budget carries a rate of $16.50 per $1,000.

Other cuts made to the budget include eliminating a $145,000 contact with Menter Ambulance, reducing library payments by $80,000, reducing the fire department by two positions through attrition and not filling three vacant positions (engineer aide, head of traffic and fire chief).

The assistant fire chief, Paul Foster, will be acting fire chief, Woodward said. He also said city residents still will have ambulance service even with the elimination of the Menter contract.